good idea? or abuse?

MissAngel wrote: So you know what, good on that parent for being responsible enough to think that perhaps the kiddy might get looked over because of heaps of family being there and having them on the run! I'd have no problem doing that to my children if I couldnt afford a gate or fence or something to stop them from escaping. Not all children listen! Look at me for example :P

 

I certainly don't think it's ideal nor is it a method I'll be replicating but as Alex said good on them for being responsible enough to come up with a safe alternative.  Far better than the alternatives of locking the child inside all summer or letting them play unrestrained next to an extremely busy road. 

Having said that I feel uncomfortable when I see dogs that are constantly tied to a run, so hearing about children treated the same way doesn't seem right to me.  I do wonder how many children were there and how many adults.  When we play out the front (which is unfenced and therefore IMO unsafe even for my roadwise preschooler) an adult always plays with Michaela and stands between her and the road rather than sitting back watching from the porch - that would remove the need to tether the child.

Edited by MrsMojo

really how different is it to a play pen......I assume he/she wasnt tethered by a collar round their neck. 

 

We have to do things to keep our kiddies safe and happy (not always the same thing to them) so if that was the compromise that worked for that family I dont have a problem.  Much as I dream of such a device I probably wouldnt use it myself.

I think its an awesome idea and if i was at an unfenced house i would do exactly the same thing i think it was much preferable to another child dying on the roads. I also wouldnt hesitate to do the same thing to an older child if they were likely to run out onto a road without thinking as well. As a child i managed to walk out of the house and 3 blocks to the park while mum looked away for 2 secs and i dont even think i was 2. I was gone for awhile and only returned when someone who knew my parents dropped me back home. Anything could have happened to me i was very lucky.

You can try and teach a child stop and no as much as you like but you certainly dont start next to a busy busy road and expect them to pick it up straight away. Kids are so quick and cunning when they are little and i wouldnt trust an adult to catch them everytime. It would almost be neglect in my eyes if the child wasnt restrained next to such a busy road

Its definitly not abuse if the parent is there, if the kid was on the run and no one was around then I think thats really mean.

I say good on them, I would rather Caden be on a dog run for a bit so he could run around and play, than be hit by a car, to me it wold be more irrasponable to let your 1-2yr old run around when there is no gate and a busy road.

Kids dont listen half the time, epecially at that age so even if you yelled stop, its not always going to work, and when roads are involved, i woudlnt take that risk.

I think its a brilliant idea (and the image makes me giggle), but better that the kid is safe then splattered on the road!

I agree, as long as the kid isn't just left outside alone (with bowl of water) all day, it's just supervised play then good on them!
Sometimes parents just have to do what they feel is best for their kids and not worry about what others think.